It’s with great regret that I have to announce that Simon will be leaving the MakeUseOf staff at the end of November to take up a position at AppStorm.

His departure is a big loss for us and a big gain for AppStorm. Simon has been working for us since 2008 when he submitted an article about securing your PC files. He began our games section later in 2008 with an article about the top 5 free online shooter games and he also became our first PDF manuals editor.  So his absence here at MakeUseOf will be keenly felt by all.   The rest of the MakeUseOf team, and I’m sure you too, wish him all the best in his new job.

Simon’s departure means that we have a staff writer vacancy on the MakeUseOf team.   We need someone of a very high calibre to step into Simon’s shoes starting on December 1st.   Could that be you? If you think you have what it takes to become Simon’s replacement, then read on.

• We are looking for someone who is able to write 2 or 3 articles a week, on a strict deadline.  Posts should be on a web apps / software / tech subject.   Just browse through MakeUseOf to see the kind of things we normally like.
• You need to have a thorough knowledge of WordPress and how it works.
• You need to be able to take great screenshots.
• You need to devote the time to answering reader comments.
• You need to have perfect English knowledge. Tip-top English grammar skills a must.
• You need to be willing to sign a contract with us.
• You need to be ready to start at the beginning of December.
• You should be contactable by email and instant messaging.
• You should preferably have previous experience working with a tech blog and should be able to provide online work samples to show us what you have done.  We will consider people who have had no previous experience, provided you are willing to write a no-obligation test article for us to show us your writing talents.  But previous experience will push you to the front of the line.
• Knowledge and participation in social media, such as Twitter, would be a huge plus.

If you want to apply then send an email to me at mark@makeuseof.com and CC it to jackson@makeuseof.com .  In that email, tell us why you are the right person for the job, summarize your experience, and provide links to your previous work.   If we decide to consider you, we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.   The successful applicant will get a fixed monthly salary and bonuses, as well as being a part of a great writing team.